Title 19, Title 19

(1) (a) During a participant's DROP period, state contributions under 19-6-410 and employer contributions under 19-6-404 must continue to be made to the retirement system. (b) Member contributions under 19-6-402 must be made to the member's DROP account. (2) Each month during the…

(1) If a participant dies prior to the receipt of the DROP benefit pursuant to 19-6-1008, the participant's surviving spouse or dependent child is entitled to receive a lump-sum payment equal to the participant's DROP benefit as of the date of the participant's death and the bene…

(1) When a member, after the end of the DROP period, continues employment in a covered position, state contributions under 19-6-410, employer contributions under 19-6-404, and member contributions under 19-6-402 must continue to be made to the retirement system. (2) A member who,…

(1) Upon termination of service, a participant is entitled to: (a) receive a lump-sum distribution of the participant's DROP benefit; (b) roll the participant's DROP benefit into another eligible retirement plan in a manner prescribed and authorized by the board; or (c) any other…

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply in this chapter: (1) (a) "Compensation" means remuneration paid from funds controlled by an employer in payment for the member's services or for time during which the member is excused from work because the me…

There is a retirement plan known as the highway patrol officers' retirement system, which is governed by the provisions of chapter 2 and this chapter.

This chapter may be cited as "The Highway Patrol Officers' Retirement Act".

It is the policy of the state that additional benefits may not be added to the highway patrol officers' retirement system unless the system amortizes in 30 years or less and the additional benefit is projected to be fully funded in perpetuity.

(1) A retired member who returns to employment covered by the retirement system for 480 hours or more in a calendar year must become an active member of the system. Upon reinstatement as an active member, benefit payments must cease until subsequent retirement. (2) A retired memb…

(1) A retired member who returns to active service pursuant to 19-6-1101(1) and accrues less than 5 years of service credit before again terminating service: (a) may not be awarded service credit for the period of reemployment; (b) must, upon termination of service and pursuant t…

(1) All members of the Montana highway patrol, including the supervisor and assistant supervisors, must be members of the retirement system. (2) (a) An inactive member hired before July 1, 2013, with at least 5 years of membership service is an inactive vested member and retains …

There is a pension trust fund for the payment of benefits under the retirement system. All appropriations made by the state, all contributions by members, in the amount specified, and all interest on and earnings from the investment of money in this pension trust fund must be dep…

(1) (a) A member not covered under 19-6-710 shall contribute the following percentage of the member's compensation: (i) beginning July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014, 10%; (ii) beginning July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015, 11%; (iii) beginning July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016…

If a member willingly resigns or is discharged for cause before becoming entitled to a retirement benefit, the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit must be paid to the member upon the member's filing of a written application with the board.

(1) The state shall pay as employer contributions 38.33% of compensation paid to all of the employer's employees, except those properly excluded from membership, from the following sources: (a) an amount equal to 28.15% of the total compensation of the members, which is payable, …

(Temporary) State contribution for supplemental benefits -- statutory appropriation. The state shall annually contribute to the pension trust fund the lump-sum amount determined by the board as required to pay benefits under 19-6-709. The amount must be calculated based upon the …

(1) (a) Subject to a member's right to a refund of the member's accumulated contributions under Title 19, chapter 2, part 6, a member hired on or before June 30, 2023, is eligible to receive a nonforfeitable service retirement benefit under 19-6-502 after completing 20 years or m…

After termination from service and upon application for service retirement, a member must receive a service retirement benefit equal to 2.6% of the member's highest average compensation for each year of service credit.

(1) If a member hired before July 1, 2013, is discontinued from service other than for cause after having completed 5 years of membership service but before reaching normal retirement age, the member must, upon filing a written application with the board, be paid an early service…

(1) The service retirement benefit must be paid to the retired member for the remainder of the member's life. (2) Upon the retired member's death, the retirement benefit must be paid to the member's surviving spouse, if there is one. (3) (a) If upon the retired member's death the…

(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3), a vested member who becomes disabled must be granted a disability retirement benefit that is the actuarial equivalent of the service retirement benefit under 19-6-502 standing to the member's credit at the time of the member's di…

(1) The board may require the recipient of a disability retirement benefit to undergo a medical examination. The examination must be made by a board-approved physician or surgeon at a place mutually agreed on by the board, the disabled member, and the physician or surgeon and at …

(1) Subject to the limitations contained in subsection (2), the following retired members, or their survivors, who are not covered by 19-6-710, 19-6-711, or 19-6-712 are eligible to receive a monthly benefit of not less than 2% multiplied by the member's service credits multiplie…

(Temporary) Supplemental benefits for certain retirees. (1) In addition to any retirement benefit payable under this chapter, a retired member or a survivor determined by the board to be eligible under subsection (2) must receive an annual lump-sum benefit payment beginning in Se…

(1) Subject to subsection (2), for members hired before July 1, 2013, on January 1 of each year, the permanent monthly benefit payable during the preceding January to each recipient who is eligible under subsection (3) must be increased by 3%. (2) (a) If a recipient's benefit pay…

(1) Subject to subsection (2), for members hired before July 1, 2013, on January 1 of each year, the permanent monthly benefit payable during the preceding January to each recipient who is eligible under subsection (3) must be increased by 3%. (2) (a) If a recipient's benefit pay…

(1) Subject to subsection (2), for employees hired on or after July 1, 2013, on January 1 of each year, the permanent monthly benefit payable during the preceding January to each recipient who is eligible under subsection (3) must be increased by 1.5%. (2) (a) If the recipient's …

(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b) and subject to 19-6-805, an eligible member may, at any time prior to retirement, file a written application with the board to purchase service credit and membership service for up to 5 years of the member's active service in the ar…

(1) (a) Subject to subsection (1)(b) and 19-6-805, a member may, at any time before retirement, file a written application with the board to purchase 1 year of out-of-state law enforcement employment for each year of service credit, unless the member is eligible to receive a reti…

(1) (a) Subject to subsection (1)(b) and 19-6-805, a member may, at any time before retirement, file a written application with the board to purchase 1 year of additional service credit for each 5 years of membership service that the member has in the retirement system. (b) A mem…

A member may not purchase more than a combined total of 5 years of service credit under 19-6-801, 19-6-803, and 19-6-804.

(1) Time, not to exceed 5 years, during which a member is absent from service because of injury or illness is considered membership service if, within 1 year after the end of the absence, the injury or illness is determined by the board to have arisen out of and in the course of …

(1) If the board finds that a member died as a direct and proximate result of injury received in the course of the member's service, a survivorship benefit must be paid to the member's surviving spouse or dependent child in the same manner as provided for in 19-6-505(2) through (…

If an active or inactive member dies before reaching retirement age, the member's surviving spouse or dependent child must be paid a survivorship benefit that is the actuarial equivalent of the early retirement benefit provided in 19-6-503, in the same manner as provided for in 1…

If, after a member's death, a benefit is not paid pursuant to 19-6-505, 19-6-601, 19-6-901, or 19-6-902, then the member's designated beneficiary must be paid an amount equal to the member's accumulated contributions minus the total of any benefits already paid from the member's …